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MOUNT VERNON, N. Y. -- A former Mount Vernon water commissioner pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to trying to take a bribe in exchange for a job promotion then lying about it to investigators, federal law enforcement officials said.

Anthony Bove, 48, of North Salem, pleaded guilty to one count of bribery, and one count of delivering a false statement. Possible sentences go as high as 10 years and five years, respectively.

Federal officials say the incident dates back to the spring of 2015 when a bookkeeping employee was seeking a promotion within the city's water department. Rather than approving the application, Bove demanded $10,000, in installments, if necessary, officials said.

The employee never paid the money and the application for the promotion was never approved. In December, a special agent from HUD's inspector general's office interviewed Bove, who said he'd never asked for money in exchange for a promotion, federal officials said.

In a statement, Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas said that this is the continuation of the "daily battle to clean up Mount Vernon."

"“We are fighting a daily battle to clean up Mount Vernon, from partnering with stakeholders to tear down zombie structures to building new policies to move Mount Vernon into the 21st century," he stated. "The news about Anthony Bove closes another sad chapter in our struggle to rise above poor choices made during past administrations, (such as) Memorial Field. We will continue to make progress on ethics and accountability.”

Preet Bharara, U. S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, said the guilty plea was entered before U.S. Dist. Judge Vincent L. Briccetti in White Plains. Sentencing is scheduled for June 29, officials said.